Cleaning up and coming clean
by SageK
Summary: <html><head></head>Cleaning up after a particularly messy mission turns out to be fun after all.</html>
1. Chapter 1

"That was the most disgusting Abnormal hunt ever!"

Ashley looked over at Henry in commiseration. She wondered how they, two of the three members of the Sanctuary staff with enhanced senses, had wound up chasing an Abnormal through the sewers. It wasn't like the retrieval required her Cabal enhanced abilities or Henry's tech savvy of HAP-ness. Of course, Mom and Biggie being out of town might have had something to do with it.

Catching the altie had simply required patience and the ability to trudge through a lot of sickening stuff.

Will and Kate were snickering at them as they rolled a large container in their direction. The altie, which looked like a sturgeon with a bony ridge back and a snout like a crocodile, was resting peacefully inside.

The snickering cinched it. Next time, she was going to drop them down an open manhole, no questions asked.

"What the heck happened to you two?" Kate asked, looking at them in revolted fascination. Then she looked at the clumps of unidentifiable muck dripping off of them. "What is that smell?"

"That would be the raw sewage," Henry quipped, just as Ashley replied, "A whole lot of shit."

There was silence, broken by Will, who said, "Ew."

That pretty much summed it up.

"Want me to turn the garden hose on you?" Kate called after them as they turned to head for the decon showers. There was more laughter in her voice.

Henry ignored her, but Ashley tossed a rude gesture over her shoulder.

The decon shower was a large, enclosed, tiled room with a multitude of showerheads. Technically, they didn't need to use this particular shower, but neither of them wanted to trek through the house covered in muck and sewage.

"Me first!" Ashley declared, whipping off her jacket and dropping it into a bin. Neither of them were going to want to wear these clothes again.

Henry gaped at her. "No way!" he yelped, "Do you have any idea what this is doing to my nose? I'm gonna be tasting sewer for days."

Ashley shrugged. "I know, but no way am I going to be this icky for any longer than I have to be. You want to share, fine with me."

Normally, getting naked with an attractive member of the opposite sex was something that would cause some embarrassment, but Ashley was too eager to get clean to care. Plus, she wasn't very shy.

Henry however was. Every time he transformed in front of someone, he was always quick to blush and cover-up his naughty bits.

Today, cleanliness clearly trumped modestly.

The jets of water that shot from the showerheads were nearly painful, hard and almost scalding, but they did their job. Caked on grime and other nasty things that didn't bear thinking about were rinsed her body and once the excess was removed, she began to scrub with the industrial soap. She even worked it into her hair.

Without thinking, she turned to rinse her back, planning on the second wash, but froze as she opened her eyes.

Henry was using the showerhead across from her, facing it and scrubbing his hair with both hands. The movement caused the muscles of his upper back and shoulders to flex and bunch enticingly. She noted that pair of inked stars on his trapeziums, flanking his spine. Suds were trailing down his back, from his hair all the way down to his ankles. Her eyes followed their descent, along the smooth skin of his back, over the perky, rounded curve of his butt (which looked just as great out of his jeans as it did in them), down strong thighs and muscular calves.

She knew she should feel ashamed of ogling her friend, the man she'd grown up with, but somehow she didn't. There was a rush of warmth low in her belly and she felt her cheeks heat, not with embarrassment but something more…. primal.

Since returning from the Cabal's captivity, she hadn't had the opportunity to find herself in a situation where lust was an issue. She'd actually been a bit afraid, wondering if any of her new abilities would manifest as they had a tendency to do when she got angry.

Were her eyes red?

Were her nails suddenly sharper, like claws?

Did she want to slam Hendry into a wall, challenge him for dominance?

Well, yeah, on that last question, but she'd entertain that thought for years, ever since she was about 15 and realized her quasi-foster brother was totally geek chic hot.

For a moment, she allowed her thoughts to travel along that path….

_She saw herself silently crossing the damp tiles, stepping close to Henry and raising her hand to rest it on his warm shoulder. She could feel the tension in his muscles and, from the fact that he didn't jump, she knew he'd known she was approaching. Considering his senses, he'd probably scent her arousal in the steam before she'd even stepped away from her shower._

"_Ash?" he asked, voice lower than usual, more of a growl around the edges._

_Stepping closer, she pressed her breasts into his back and let her arm drape over his shoulder to snake around his chest. His breath hitched as she brought her lips to his ear and breathed, "I'll wash your back, you wash mine?"_

_He chuckled and she felt the reverberations pass from his body to hers. "I like that plan," he replied, broad, strong hands reaching back to grasp her hips. She gave a little wiggle against him and he turned in her arms. Standing barefoot, their heights were fairly close, he only a few inches taller, and she liked being almost nose to nose, sharing breath in the steamy room._

_A slight hint of gold encroaching on his green eyes, Henry smiled and brushed his nose gently against hers before leaning in for a kiss. She opened her lips under his and hummed as one of his hands skimmed up her water slicked side, brushing the outer curve of her breast several times before settling there…._

"Ash?"

She was startled from her reverie by Henry's strained voice. The steam is thick, hot enough to fog the glass door separating them from the dressing area to opacity, but her eyes are good enough to make out the tension in his spine and the slight tilt of his head.

Shit.

He cocked his head to the side when he was scenting the air or hearing something no one else could.

During her day dream, her hands had drifted, one resting well below her naval and the other massaging a breast. Ashley had really been enjoying her little reverie.

This was reality, not a fantasy and she bit her lip. In this respect, she was much braver in her head.

"Henry," she managed to say, deciding to throw caution to the wind. "Wanna help me wash up?"

For a moment he froze and Ashley cursed herself, thinking she'd read the situation wrong. Since she'd gotten back, they'd had a series of moments, lingering hugs and cuddles. A few times, she'd thought he was about to kiss her, but the moment had just never been right, even after things had ended between him and Erica, his ex in Scotland.

Before she could fall too far into self doubt, Henry turned and his eyes locked on hers. He breathed deeply, then took a hesitant step towards her. Just as nervous, Ashley held a hand out to him, beckoning him forward.

He took her hand and closed the final distance between them, stopping short of full body contact. His free hand lifted to cup her damp cheek, thumb caressing her bottom lip in a slow stroking motion.

In reality of his touch was far more hesitant than in her lust filled fantasy, but it was far more comfortingly Henry. Out of the two of them, she tended to be the aggressor, was far more likely to act without thinking.

Henry had always kept a tight rein on his more animal impulses, choosing instead to let his mouth run freely. When she was younger, she'd never understood why he refused to take advantage of the extra strength his HAP heritage lent him.

Now, often finding it difficult to control the abilities the Cabal had woken in her, she understood. He was afraid of the potential inside himself. The potential to be rather effective killing machine. While she was still struggling with herself, Henry seemed to come to terms with his inner Abnormal.

So, it probably didn't shock him when she leaned into him, molding her body to his and sealing their lips. She felt him smile against her mouth and he was the one to deepen the kiss, tip of his tongue sliding forwards to brush hers.

Burying a hand in his hair, she stepped backwards, pulling him with her until her back was against the cool tile. With a devilish smirk, she hooked a long leg around his hip, pulling their lower bodies together, pressing the softest part of her body to the hardest of his. Henry let out a little moan and dropped his face to the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply before biting softly at her collar bone.

That sent a jolt through her body and she groaned, dragging her nails down his back, murmuring, "Harder…."

He complied, moving his mouth up slightly and biting down on her scalene muscle, just shy of breaking the skin.

Gasping, she tightened her grip on his shoulders and brought her other leg up to wrap fully around his waist, knowing he could support her weight. The friction this move caused was delicious and she reached down beneath her legs to wrap a hand around him.

Henry groaned, his hands flexing on her thighs….

"Hey, did you guys die in there?"

Kate's muffled voice came in through the fog obscured glass doors, totally spoiling the moment.

This time, Henry's groan was one of disappointment and Ashley agreed completely. "What?" she shouted irritably. Privacy was something in short supply at the Sanctuary, but she'd thought the showers would be safe. Especially since Kate seemed to have no trouble thinking they were having a co-ed shower.

Which led Ashley to wonder if she thought they were already lovers, or simply close enough that they could shower together platonically.

"Look, I know you're probably still trying to remove the outer layers of your skin, but we had a slight snafu with the altie."

Lovely

"What happened?" Henry asked and Ashley was impressed by how normal his voice sounded.

"It got into Sally's tank. It's just kind of sitting in a corner, but she's pissed, so…."

"Be right there," Ashley replied and the vague, shadowy outline that was Kate moved away from the doors. Regretfully, she unwrapped her legs from Henry's waist and, seeing the kicked puppy look on his face, pulled him close for a kiss. "We'll deal with the altie, then I say we disappear to one of the hidden rooms and forget our comms."

Henry grinned at her. "A bed would be a better place to do this," he conceded, moving around the room to turn off the taps. The air was thick with steam and she smiled when she saw him draw a deep breath, taking in their combined scent.

They'd clean up the mess with the altie, then have the rest of the night to themselves.

From the look in Henry's eyes, Ashley had a feeling it was totally going to be worth the wait.

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	2. Chapter 2

Getting the altie, whom Henry was calling Tooter, out of Sally's tank hadn't been too bad. Breaking out the re-breathers, Ashley and Henry simply hopped into the tank and cornered Tooter, passing him up to Kate and Will, who transferred the critter into its own tank. There had been a brief inquiry from Will about the fresh scratches on Henry's back, but he'd shrugged.

Ashley had hidden her embarrassed smile, knowing she must have been a little aggressive with her nails.

Again, they hit the showers, this time using the ones in the locker rooms, as they weren't sewagey. They planned to dart off for some privacy, but they were shanghaied by Will and Kate, who both wanted to hang out. According to Kate, there was a movie marathon on TV and it had taken some fancy excuses to slip away.

Ashley couldn't help but giggle as she simply grabbed Henry by the arm and took off running, legging it down the hall at a pace their non-Abnormal co-workers couldn't match.

The massive Sanctuary had a number of hidden rooms and, having grown up exploring the place, Ashley and Henry knew all of them.

They were both laughing breathlessly as they entered a room situated in the tower and, as soon as the door closed, Ashley felt herself pinned against it by the bulk of Henry's body. His mouth was on her before she could even voice her surprise and she smiled against his lips, raising her hands to grip the sides of his head. At her waist, his hands were busy, running over the skin under her t-shirt, then making short work of her fly.

Normally, this was the point when she'd be making sure the guy had protection, but this was Henry. She knew he was disease free and probably on the male version of the special birth control shot she was. No need to worry about making little HAP/whatever the hell would come out of her DNA babies.

When he attached his lips to her neck, Ashley gasped for are and her fingers found purchase in the material of his shirt, rucking it up and wrestling it off of him. Henry made an unhappy whining sound in his throat when the fabric tangled around his head and he released her to toss the shirt aside. She followed suit, stripping off her top and letting it fall to the floor.

Henry regarded her for a moment, gold tinged eyes skimming up and down her body appreciatively. She returned the attention, admiring his firm torso and smiling at the presence of silver studs through his nipples and naval. She had to reach out, tweaking one of his nipples and was rewarded by a deep moan.

Again, he moved toward her, kissing her hungrily, then letting his lips and tongue and teeth begin a downward path. His hands massaged her breasts, avoiding the aching tips until his tongue swept across the soft flesh, just above the bra cup. Then he dipped his fingers beneath the fabric, calluses tickling soft flesh pleasantly, pulling down to free her breasts from the constricting garment.

This time, it was she who moaned as Henry latched onto one nipple, drawing it into his mouth and nibbling gently, fingers working the other. She let out a breathy sigh as she ran her fingers through his hair and down his back, ghosting over the scratches she'd left earlier. When she reached the waist of his jeans, she simply slid her hands into them, under the boxers and squeezed his ass, enjoying the contrast of soft skin over hard muscles.

He seemed to like it just as much and growled against her skin, the vibrations making her moan happily. Then he glanced up at her devilishly and released her, planting a soft kiss on the breast he was abandoning to drop to his knees before her.

Between the two of them, they made quick work of her boots and socks, then Henry was hooking his fingers into her panties and pulling them off with her jeans. She kicked them aside and he caught her leg, kissing the inside of her knee before draping it over his shoulder and tonguing a path up towards her center. Ashley felt her thighs quiver as he gently cupped her bottom and she ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stand in disarray.

The smile he directed up at her was one of his sweet, Henry smiles, which turned impish as he nipped her inner thigh before applying his tongue to the bundle of nerves aching for his attention. She yelped, steadying herself with a grip on his hair and shoulder as he applied himself, alternating nibbling on her clit with long, slow licks and a finger dipping into her.

Her body continued to tremble as he upped the pace, and she groaned his name as he plunged his tongue into her, nudging her now throbbing button with his nose. When he replace his tongue with two fingers and used his teeth and tongue on her again, she cried out, back arching away from the door as her muscles spasamed in release. If it hadn't been for the firm grip he had on her, Ashley would have collapsed, but as it was she simply let him hold her up through orgasm and aftershocks as he lapped at her quivering, moist flesh.

When her brain regained function, Ashley tugged gently on his hair, urging Henry to look up at her. He complied, sitting back on his heels as she let her leg slip from his shoulder so she could stand on her own two feet. He grinned up at her, then licked his lips, cleaning the evidence of her orgasm from them. Feeling her stomach clench pleasantly at the sight, Ashley urged him upward and kissed him as she walked him backwards toward the bed.

Henry's knees hit the mattress and she gave him a shove, sending him sprawling. He let out a laugh that was quieted when she popped his fly open and tugged his pants and boxers down, yanking the sneakers and socks off with them. His eyes grew almost comically wide when she positioned herself between his opened knees and wrapped a hand around the base of his cock.

The first upward stroke had him tossing his head back, moaning, taut tendons in his neck bulging out. For a moment, Ashley just enjoyed the power she had over him, then delicately let her tongue tickle the head. Henry panted out her name and tried to look down at her as she took him into her mouth slowly, succeeding in locking eyes until she swirled her tongue around the head of his cock.

Then his eyes literally rolled back in his head. He chokes out a groan when he hits the back of her throat, but wanting to prolong things, just a little, Ashley pulled off completely to lick him from base to tip, circling her tongue around him, fingernails grazing his thighs.

"Ash," he gasps, then makes a strangled noise when she takes all of him in again and hums before swallowing around him. "Stop…You gotta…"

His hands find purchase in her hair and pull her back so that she releases him with a wet pop. His eyes cross a bit, but she's impressed with his self control. Scrambling up the bed, she lay down beside him, pleased as his eager hands are quick to find their way back to her.

The touches might have seemed innocuous compared to their earlier contact but each brush of fingers over her arm, the curve of her hip, the taut skin of her tummy, sent little sparks directly to the core of her body. After few minutes of these gentle caresses, he grew bolder, leaning over her to kiss her breasts as one hand delved between her thighs.

When he tilted his head up to catch her mouth again, she decided enough was enough and planted a hand on his shoulder rolling him onto his back. She straddled his waist and proceeded to pulls moans from both of them by rolling her hips against his length.

It was pleasant torture, but she decided to end it, taking hold of him and sinking down onto him slowly, feeling her inner muscles stretch to accommodate him. When he was finally completely buried inside her, he skimmed his hands up her thighs to take hold of her hips, clearly wanting her to move but waiting for her to act.

Bracing her hands on his chest, she rolled her hips in a swiveling motion and they both groan. Ashley leaned down to kiss him, one hand finding purchase on the comforter by his head and the other capturing his hand in hers. "Henry," she gasped, grinding her hips down into his. She sat back up, smiling when his hand slid from her hip, up her stomach and between her breasts, covering one to tease the nipple

When his hips bucked up into her, she fell forward over him again, hands on either side of his head. Henry buried his face in her neck, breathing deeply before licking the soft skin below her ear and murmuring, "Come for me, Ash. I want to see you."

One of his hands was at her hip, guiding their thrusts as the other thumb found its way to her clit and she saw stars. It seemed like every muscle in her body pulled taut before exploding and she slumped onto his chest, shuddering through aftershocks, still feeling him moving inside her.

She kissed him hard then and bit his bottom lip. "We so should have done this years ago."

He chuckled, but the sound was strained and she clenched herself around him when he flipped them, rolling atop her and thrusting forward hard. Ashley moaned as the friction stimulated over sensitized skin and grasped his shoulders tightly. He drew back, almost leaving her completely, then pushed into her again, groaning, "Ashley…Ash…."

Her normally talkative Henry was reduced to muttering her name, but his eyes got his point across. He was careening headlong towards his orgasm and was determined to pull another from whimpered when he ground his hips against hers, pulling back to push himself up to hover over her, looking down at her with nearly gold eyes. One strong hand hitched her leg up around his hip and he gave a few shallow thrusts before slamming home once again.

It takes a moment for her to realize the keening sound she heard was coming from her throat, which she cleared to demand, "Harder, Henry."

Ashley knew she was close again and almost whimpered when Henry slowed his pace, leaning down to kiss her. She brought her other leg up, wrapping her limbs firmly around him as he murmured, "Look at me, Ash."

When she met his gaze, his hips snapped forward and she gasped, clutching at him and urging him to repeat the action.

This time he complied and she moaned when his hand slipped between them, grazing her clit with shaking fingers. She was so sensitive that it was enough and, gasping his name, her back bowed up. His eye were wide and cheeks flushed and Ashley could feel Henry give another few strokes before coming hard inside her. As he relaxed, his head tipped forward, brow resting against hers as he nuzzled her nose.

Ashley trailed her fingers up and down his back for several minutes until they rolled onto their sides. She could feel Henry softening inside her but she hooked a leg over his hip, pressing their bodies together, not ready to let him go quite yet.

Fingers tracing patterns over her bare skin, Henry kissed her and blinked at her, eyes returning to their normal shade of green. Soon, the chill in the room became noticeable and he flipped the blanket up and over them.

"We'll have to do the wash and air the room out or the Big Guy will glare at us," he murmured, pulling her close for a post coital cuddle.

The thought of that made Ashley giggle. There was probably no way the Sasquatch wouldn't know, given his keen sense of smell, but they didn't want to make him clean up after them. They weren't kids anymore.

Closing her eyes, Ashley relaxed against Henry. For once, everything was right in her world.

* * *

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